


85. Middle of the night

by DarchangelSkye



Series: (much less than) 100 kinks - Joshler edition [15]
Category: Bandom, Music RPF, Real Person Fiction, Rock Music RPF, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic, Gentle Sex, Kissing, M/M, Nightmares, Nighttime, Tea, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-10 20:53:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15957320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarchangelSkye/pseuds/DarchangelSkye
Summary: "You're really sexy all sleep mussed, I love it."





	85. Middle of the night

Tyler had been in a relatively peaceful sleep throughout this night, but feeling a bizarre commotion beside him on the mattress had him roll over and struggle to get his eyes and hearing open. "Whuh?..."

Josh was still beside him, but in a completely different state from the cuddly bundle of love when they'd drifted to sleep earlier. Now he had his side of the blanket twisted around him, sweat soaked, panting, and his hair a mess, none of it in any good way whatsoever. "Nng...no...no..."

Oh frick. Nightmare. Tyler knew all too well it was not fair to leave his lover trapped in whatever abyss his subconcious was conjuring up. Had to stop this in its tracks. He sat up to flick on the bedside lamp and reached to grab Josh by the shoulders. "Josh! Babe, wake up!"

Another couple seconds of Josh flailing his limbs about under the sheets, and finally he stiffened in place and his eyes snapped open. Add that to his eerily pale look under the lamp light and it was a disturbing sight. But at least he was awake. Tyler kept his hands in place as an anchor back to reality.

For a long moment the only sounds coming from Josh were shallow breaths through his nose, Tyler couldn't even hear his heartbeat. Still he didn't move. Finally the drummer slowly turned his head so he and Tyler were eye-to-eye, and Tyler saw pure fear gleaming from those otherwise always-beautiful eyes.

"Joshie?..."

Josh's expression crumpled, and Tyler quickly gathered him in his arms to feel tearless shudders reverberate through his body.

"Josh, shh, easy, s'only a dream, I'm right here, c'mon babe..." Tyler rubbed gentle and loving circles on his boyfriend's back but still he shook. Whatever it was had to have been crushing. "You're not going under, it's OK."

"Cold...cold, Ty, cold," Josh whimpered against his face.

Had it been cold in the nightmare? He was still cold right now? Tyler didn't want to be wrong either way, so he managed to reach a hand out to grab Josh's robe where it had been left on the bedpost and draped it around his drummer's form. He remembered that the robe had been a present, something he felt perfect for Josh as the material was a soft and deep blue with stars embroidered into the cuffs and collar- and also that Josh still hadn't fully mastered the whole completely drying off after showers thing. Tyler smiled for a brief moment, despite the shivering going on in his hold. He really loved Josh, quirks and all.

He kissed his boyfriend's cheek, and like the magical kiss in a fairy tale Josh's shaking finally settled. He gave a noise halfway between a sigh and whine and wrapped his arms around Tyler's neck.

Thank goodness. Tyler made a relieved sigh of his own and pat Josh's back. "What happened, babe?"

Josh sat back and shook his head. "Ugh, it's, it's stupid."

"Nuh-uh." Tyler smoothed and fussed with the robe's collar, anything to keep contact and stay anchored. "Can't be stupid if you were shaking that much." Unless- "I wasn't hurting you, was I?" But then Josh probably would have reluctant to hug him so quickly if that was the case.

"No, nothing like that, it was more..." He sighed and rolled his gaze to the ceiling. "Like, these woods that were really dark? And something's after me even though I can't see it, an' I'm just trying to find you while running through all these bushes and crap on the ground cutting me and it hurts but I gotta keep running-" He ran his hands over his already-disheveled hair and his voice tightened as he kept on. "And I can feel that thing catching up with me and you're nowhere and it's like you're just gone and just, god, I hated it."

Oh, that was a familiar hurt. Tyler didn't have enough fingers and toes to count how many nights were plagued with those terrors, sometimes the demon even catching up with him and taunting him with burning eyes and foul whispers that giving in was the better option. But those were never real. He cuddled back close to his boyfriend, allowing Josh to hear his breathing and heartbeat and feel solid arms to regain his sense of self. "Was just a bad dream, Josh. You know I wouldn't leave you alone to anything to hurt you," he added cutely, even if that was a true sentiment.

Josh only sighed and downcast his gaze. Huh. Didn't he believe Tyler?

"How 'bout I get us some tea? That should put us back to sleep."

"Okay," Josh said simply and got up to head towards the kitchen, tying his robe tighter against himself. Tyler just pulled out some socks to slip on and followed, not paying attention to the nip of middle of the night air on his skin. Just couldn't shake the feeling there was something his man wasn't telling him.

Josh was already seated in the kitchen by the time Tyler got there, arms on the counter and face resting on them as he stayed quiet and gaze pensive. Of course both men had become used to and accepting of each other's lower moods over their years as friends and bandmates and lovers. And of course they helped each other out. But that didn't mean there weren't moments of confusion like this.

Tyler silently dug in the cupboard for the tea he knew was best for sleeping. Had to get something into Josh, then hopefully they could talk this over. He plugged in the electric kettle and leaned against the wall in wait, trying not to be obvious in looking at Josh and likely failing.

There weren't any cars or wildlife to make ambient noises at this hour, so the only sound for a few minutes was the kettle's soft bubbling and hissing and the wheels of thought spinning in Tyler's head as he watched Josh in repose. It could've come as no surprise that Tyler occasionally watched Josh's sleeping form on nights he had trouble dozing. There was something about how his features looked so smooth and relaxed, his skin tone given a dramatic blue-black tint by the lack of light, the way his lashes touched his face and his breathing came in a steady rhythm, that was calming for him. Though right now Josh's face was anything but smooth with his brows furrowed. 

When the kettle finally whistled in readiness and Tyler went to pour the teacups, Josh raised his head to peer near the floor. "Huh."

The tone was light and almost amused, it certainly got Tyler's attention. "What?"

"Think those are part of the socks I got you." Honest to god, part of his mouth cracked a smile.

Tyler looked down to confirm silly smiley-faced emojis on his feet, and he couldn't help a small laugh at the tension finally starting to defuse. "Heh. Yeah." He remembered Josh actually getting him a whole package of printed socks (though said package had already been opened and Tyler asked, "Lemme guess, there was a banana-print in here?" to which the drummer shuddered and laughed) as part of indulging his babyboy side. Really, trinkets of affection between the two were not uncommon; clothes, books, vinyl, special "toys", even a sweet note scrawled on composition paper was priceless. Every little gesture was out of love.

Tyler added a dollop of honey to the teacups to add to the ginger scent gently wafting up, then brought them to the counter where he sat opposite to Josh. "There y'go."

"Thanks, babe." Fingertips touched as Josh took his cup, and thankfully his skin was warming again. He took the first sip and hummed sweetly.

"Good?" Tyler kept his eyes on his own cup, he didn't want Josh to feel like _every_ move was being monitored.

"Uh huh." Satisfied with that, the two sat back in a silence more comfortable now to drink. Tyler sipped slowly as possible for the heat and honey to soothe and to give Josh a quiet moment. He knew as well as anyone that battering with questions when they couldn't fully think straight did no good.

When he heard the light clink of Josh setting his teacup down, he fully turned his attention back to his boyfriend. The lines of worry had smoothed away. "Feelin' better?"

"Mhmm." Josh licked a corner of his lips. "You're not mad I woke you up?"

"Nah." Even if there were a dozen better ways to be woken up, he couldn't leave Josh hanging like that. And speaking of which- he put down his cup and laid a gentle hand over Josh's wrist. "Okay, honest question, babe. I said I wouldn't let anything hurt you like that, you looked so-"

"Woebegone?" Josh interrupted with a wry grin.

Tyler laughed. "Fancier word than I was gonna use, but yeah. Did you think I didn't mean it?"

Josh looked to the counter again for a moment, then wrapped his hands over Tyler's. "Nah, I know you'd protect me like I'd protect you. It's just like...I've been by myself every other time I have that dream, and I start hallucinating you there like a defense mechanism? I guess my brain was freakin' out cuz it couldn't tell what was what and being all 'aaah not a dream you're going under and Tyler's not here'."

"Aww, Joshie," Tyler pouted in sweet empathy and lifted the folded hands to kiss his drummer's knuckles. 

Grin. "I wanna say it won't happen again, but...my brain, y'know?"

"Well, I still happen to love your brain." A peck to Josh's forehead and he stood to put the cups in the dishwasher. "You okay to go back to bed?" The chance of the dream popping up twice in one night was pretty slim, right?

"Uh huh." The robe's fabric was as gentle against his skin as Josh's breath was, now sweet with ginger and honey.

Back in their room, the bedspread was in the same chaos they'd left it, and Josh made a visibly displeased face. "Ugh, sweaty bed sheets with the wrong kind of sweat."

Tyler laughed softly. "Think we could go without tonight?"

Josh tore the sheets away and dropped them beside the bed, then flopped back on the mattress with his sweet smile. "'m good with you to keep me warm."

Mmm, warm blankets and Josh, the perfect association. Tyler slinked onto the bed and looped his arms around his boyfriend's waist, sighing pleasantly when the gesture was returned. They fit, they always did.

"Hmm..." Josh slowly began sweeping his hands up and down, petting from the back of Tyler's hair to the base of his spine, and Tyler took the cue to weave his fingers into Josh's hair to massage deep but gentle circles. The young men had calmed, now only wanting their familiar cuddly contact before drifting into dreamland again. Closer, closer...so much closer. "Ooh, that's good," Josh breathed in encouragement of Tyler's moves and tilted his head.

Tyler chuckled. "Wow, the fans are right, you really are a kitten." He playfully scritched the back of Josh's neck.

"Unh...more?" Josh let out a sigh and blinked up with those brown eyes that were beautiful again with no trace of dread. Like there was any way to resist that. Tyler kissed at his man's jawline and continued the massage, nuzzling his face close so Josh could lavish as many kisses as he wanted, which he certainly did.

Tyler shut his eyes, relying on his mind and sense of touch to take in every sensation. God, he loved this, loved having him and Josh soothe each other with lips and hands. If he didn't love music so much, he'd wonder if it were possible to make curling up and sleeping next to someone a paying job. "Hmm...tha's good..."

A soft purr rolled into his ear that was quickly taken over by laughter and a kiss to the earlobe. "Ohhh," his eyes widened pleasantly. He really did have a kitten with him.

Josh folded his arms over Tyler's chest and rested his head on them. "Hmm?" he asked, fluttering his eyelashes.

How was he so lucky to have such a sweet and irresistible boyfriend? Oh so slowly Tyler reached to trace along those beautiful lashes.

"Oh..." Josh's sigh and smile were a sound and sight of wonder, like he'd never been handled so delicately before, and it touched Tyler's heart. "Real gentle..."

"Just like you," Tyler breathed and traced the other eye. "Gorgeous...loving..."

"Only for you," Josh murmured and traced a finger over the thinnest skin on Tyler's wrist.

"Ahh-" It was a touch light as a feather but could easily make Tyler shudder. He craned his head to watch a pale finger trace up and down the even paler blue that showed up under his skin, sometimes touching the small pulse. All that blood flowing for the man he loved, that rushed even more when Josh closed his hand around the wrist and kissed it gently. If he'd been cold before, there was really a rush of warmth to his face now. "Josh..."

Josh bit his bottom lip, corners curled up to make his cheeks dimple subtly. "Need ya, Ty."

Oh- "Y'sure?" Tyler took his time gazing over the other man's face, watching for any possible apprehension behind that smile. If there was still an inkling of upset left, he didn't want to be taking advantage of that. But Josh just nodded and kissed feather-light between his eyes.

"Please."

"OK..." With a gentle swipe of his thumb across Josh's forehead, Tyler rolled their bodies so he was gently on top, then propped himself on his free hand. He couldn't stop staring at lovely pale skin wrapped in the blue of the night. So...beautiful.

Josh reached out and reached out and touched a finger to his nose, letting it trace down to his lips. "You're really sexy all sleep mussed, I love it."

Hmm, looked like soft and slow was the name of the game. "Glad you like," Tyler murmured and smoothed his hands all the way down Josh's body until fingertips gripped the waistband of his pajama pants that were already showing off enough hipbone. "And this I like-" he moved his face close for an open-mouthed but tender kiss, breathing all of his love into Josh.

"Ahh..." Josh's deft fingers danced down his sides to roll away his shorts, and soon the only fabric anyone had was the robe. Sighs soft with lust and laziness rose from the pair as they caressed around each other, punctuated by the wet noises of kisses. There were no nibbles or teases, everything was calm as the night itself.

Tyler stretched an arm to the bedside dresser so he could grab their favorite lube, and a small noise came from under him that almost sounded like- whimpering? He tilted his head to see Josh with his eyebrows up and bottom lip slightly pouting. Was he playing or was that a genuine noise of need? All the same, he kissed that adorable mouth. "'m not going anywhere, Josh." Then his lover's face relaxed again and it was wonderful.

"You are so cute." Tyler retrieved the bottle and worked on prepping himself while he kept eye contact with Josh, who was bending his knees and raising his hips. Cute, loving, alluring...

"Flattery gets you everywhere," Josh murmured and beckoned.

Tyler was practically panting by the time he was ready, and even though every move was with the tender love his boyfriend deserved right now, when he came back close to embrace Josh and begin the slow and smooth entrance, he felt pure heated desire. "Ohhh..."

Josh echoed the groan lowly and his hips started a series of slow and deep rolls, bit by bit allowing Tyler to be enveloped. His lips were parted and eyes shut most of the way, and as much as Tyler loved eye contact when they did it, he knew this meant Josh trusted him in not going anywhere. His gasps were ragged but satisfied as he'd finally slipped deeply inside possible and cupped the back of Josh's head for sweet kisses, a request met with more wet noises and sighs.

"Ahh..." Tyler curled his fingers on Josh's shoulders, not for nails to dig in but just for an endearingly possessive pressure. Nobody and nothing was going to keep him away from his Josh. "Oh, babe."

A low sound purred from the back of Josh's throat mixed in with a "Like that," as he anchored his hands to Tyler's hips. He moved the kisses to the jawline and there was the light scratch sound of stubble against each other's faces. Any sound or contact that meant this was all real.

Tyler felt his breath waver and he started his hips on the same deep rolls. As gentle as every touch was on the outside, that's how much his blood was racing on the inside. Push, pull, kiss, lick, rub, roll, just to make the sounds and pleasure keep coming. "You're best...so best..."

"Oh-" Just like that, Josh's hips started quick stuttering motions with the rest of his body stiffened in place, but it was nothing to be worried about this time, especially since his lips were parted in an ecstatic O and a much better kind of sweat had built on his forehead now. Tyler kept his gaze on that, a new addition to the amount of beautiful images of his boyfriend in his head that he'd honestly lost track of the number ages ago. He bit his own lower lip with a grunt and shuddered at the brink of the buildup. Gonna see stars pretty as the ones outside...

"Ohgod-" Josh made a quick arch and the jolted sensation of that was enough for Tyler to lose it. Those stars reeled in his vision and his moan was long and low as he released. Never got tired of this, never.

"Ooh...yeah...mmm..." Josh stroked a hand over his hair and down his spine and Tyler could feel in the fading haze of his orgasm that it was a slick touch. Right kind of sweat indeed. "Babe...so amazin'...'

When Tyler finally came down from his high and his vision had cleared, he pulled out with a satisfied sigh and gently collapsed beside Josh, cupping the small of his back in time with those wonderful caresses. "So good...every time."

Josh curled even closer and pecked a kiss to Tyler's shoulder. "Hmm, me? That was all you, stud."

So sweet. He was so lucky. Tyler gave a soft laugh and fingers tangled in hair. "Love ya, too."

Josh smiled and his eyes slowly closed all the way. "Well-loved and sleepy..."

"Mhmm." Tyler kissed his lover's forehead and kept the tender hold, comfortable enough to let himself drift back to sleep as well while love and cuddles kept the monsters away.


End file.
